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The social psychology of collective violence: Civilian motivations for involvement in the Indonesian May 1998 riots

Eunike Mutiara Himawan et al.

British Journal of Social Psychology2026https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.70048article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

This study examines motivations for participating in the understudied Indonesian riots of May 1998 targeting the ethnic Chinese minority, using an integrative framework addressing intergroup, intragroup and individual factors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 participants (26 male, 5 female), all aged over 35 and involved in violent acts during the riots, in which thousands of homes and businesses were looted or destroyed, and hundreds of people were raped or murdered. Thematic analysis revealed motivations at three levels: intergroup (ethnic prejudice, animosity towards security forces), intragroup (conformity, fear of missing out) and individual (thrill-seeking, need for significance, greed, impulsivity). Narratives illustrate how these factors interact within a context of socio-political and economic upheaval. Most participants cited motivations at the intragroup and individual levels, with fewer referencing intergroup factors or reporting a single level of motivation. Conformity (an intragroup factor) was reported by all participants. This research highlights the complex interplay of psychological and social dynamics driving collective ethnic violence.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.70048

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@article{eunike2026,
  title        = {{The social psychology of collective violence: Civilian motivations for involvement in the Indonesian May 1998 riots}},
  author       = {Eunike Mutiara Himawan et al.},
  journal      = {British Journal of Social Psychology},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.70048},
}

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The social psychology of collective violence: Civilian motivations for involvement in the Indonesian May 1998 riots

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.